Steam-engine valve



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. R. HAMMELL.

STEAM ENGINE VALVE.

No. 596,702. v Patented Jan. 4,1898.

1323 57 15 12 1f 25 WITNESSES: 47 //vv/vr0/? WM}; Wm 7 4 A ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 2 VSheets She at 2.

STEAM ENGINE VALVE. No. 596,702. Patented Jan. 4,1898.

ITII IIIIIH HTI] IIIIHI WIN/E8858: l/VVE/VTOH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS R. HAMMELL, OF DECATUR, INDIANA.

STEAM-ENGINE VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,702, dated January 4, 1898.

pp i ation filed July 15, 1897. $erial No. 644,643. on) model.)

To all whmn it may concern..-

Be it known that I, CYRUS R. HAMMELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at De catur, in the county of Adams, in the State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engine Valves and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steam-engine valves and in the means of operating the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved exhaust-valve for steam-engines, of simple and economical construction, adapted to be readily applied to any ordinary steam-engine, adapted to take the initial steam direct from the boiler with its full expansive power instead of from a steam-chest, and adapted to open the exhaust-ports fully at once at the desired time by theinitial steam from the inlet-valve, and to provide a full and free exhaust all the time, thus givinga quicker motion and more power.

My invention consists in the improved means of securing a full exhaust simultaneously with the admission of steam-from the inlet-valve and constantly maintaining the same.

The novel feature of my invention is the method and means of exhausting steam from the opposite ends of the working chamber of the main cylinder simultaneously with the admission of steam through the inlet-valve.

In the accompanying drawings similar reference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewof my improvement in position upon a proper steamcylinder, showing the means for operating the inlet and exhaust valve. Fig. 2 is a horizontal central section of Fig. 1, showing the relative arrangement of the said valves. Fig. 3 is a horizontal central section of a modified form and arrangement of the valves and valvegear as shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 4is a crossvalve. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. 2, taken on the line Y Y. Fig. 6 is a detail of the means for operatively connecting the steam-actuated exhaust-valves. Fig-7 is a perspective view of the modified form of inlet-valve shown in Fig. 3.

The main steam-cylinder 1, of any proper form and dimensions, has an integral or rigid pedestal 2, is supported upon a proper base 3, and is rigidly connected to the adjacent end of a proper cross-head guide 5 of the usual construction. In the working chamber of said cylinder 1 is arranged a proper piston 7, having a piston-rod 8, properly arranged in the stuffing-box 9.

No steam-chest proper is employed with my improvement, as I take the initial steam direct from the boiler.

Instead of a steam-chest I provide a chambered extension or valve-chest 4, having a removable lid 4. The said lid 4 has a vertical circular opening 2, Fig. 4, midway its ends, in which the annular inlet-valve 17 is snugly but rotatably mounted. The said valve-chest 4 is provided upon each side of the said opening 2 with the valve-chambers 43 and 44, which are connected with the forward and rear ends of the working chamber of said cylinder l by the steam-conduits 11 and 10, respectively, Fig. 2. The said chambers 43 and 44 are connected with the said chamber 2 by the admission-portslS and 19, respectively, and with the exhaust-chamber 12 by the outlet-ports 13 and 14, respectively, Fig. 2. The exhaust-chamber 12 has a proper exhaust-pipe 27 fixed therein, as shown, Fig. 4. The hollow annular inlet-valve 17, arranged as shown in the said opening 2, has its upper end extended above the upper surface of said lid 4', and has an integral lateral arm 25, whose free end is pivotally connected to the adjacent endsaid valve 17 is then provided with an-externally-screw-threaded collar 45, closely fitting about said pipe 6 and against the top of the annular flange thereof. In the said chambers 43 and 44 are pivotally mounted the rocking cylindrical exhaust-valves 15 and 16, respectively, identical in construction and operation. They each have upon their lower end and near their adjacent sides an integral lug or fixed pivot 35, arranged in a suitable socket in the base of said chambers, Fig. 5. The upper ends of said exhaust-valves are respectively provided with the upright fixed operating-rods 28 and 29, arranged in proper stuffin g-boxes 30 and 31, respectively. Upon the upper end of said operating-rods are rigidly fixed proper sprocket-wheels 33 and 34, Fig. 1, or the sprocket-segments 33 and 34, Fig. 6. Upon these sprocket wheels or segments is properly mounted the connecting sprocketchain 32.

As seen in Fig. 3, the annular chamber 2 for the inlet-valve may be extended into the oblong steam-chamber 2 and the exhaustchamber 12, also elongated, as shown. In this modified form the inlet-valve is constructed in two parts 23 and 25, semicircular in crosssection, each being adapted for an oscillatory movement on the vertical pivots 47, whose lower ends are loosely mounted in suitable recesses in the base of said lid 4 and whose upper ends are each provided with a fixed pivotally united by the horizontal connectingrod 37, having a rigid collar 38 approximately furcated end of the operating-lever 36. The said lever 36 is pivoted midway its ends on the pivot 48, fixed in the said detachable valvechest lid 4, its bifurcated end loosely received in the rod 37, and its other end is pivoted in any proper manner to the forward end of the eccentric-rod 26.

The operation of my improvement thus described is obvious and, briefly stated, is substantially as follows: The inlet or cutoff valve operating mechanism is so arranged that the inlet-ports 20 and 21 of said valve respectively register with the inlet-ports 18 and 19 when the working piston reaches the corresponding end of its stroke. As the exhaust-valves 15 and 16 are connected by means of the operating-rods 28 and 29 and the sprocket-chain 32, when the said admissionport 21 registers with the said inlet-port 19 the entering steam will force the said exhaustvalve 15 wide open instantaneouslyby forcing back to its seat and closing the companion exhaust-valve 16, Fig.' 2. The exhauststeam at the rear of the piston is thus free to exhaust through the ports 11 and 13, the chamber 12, and the pipe 27 as soon as the piston reaches the limit of its stroke and during the entire time the piston is approaching the other limit of its stroke. As soon as the piston reaches the other limit of its stroke the admission-port 20 of the inlet-valve will regisof steam by the inlet-valve.

ter with the inlet-port 18, upon which the entering steam will instantly force the exhaustvalve 15 back to its seat, thus closing the exhaust-port 13 and simultaneously opening to its full extent, as described, the companion valve 16, thus permitting a free and full exhaust immediately before and during the time of the return stroke of the piston. It will thus be seen that one or the other of the said exhaust-valves will at all times be wide open, permitting a free full exhaust all the time, and that the opening of the proper exhaustvalve will be simultaneous with the admission This is believed to be a novel feature of great utility not heretofore attained.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 7 the operation is identical with that above described.

It is obvious that the valve-chest 4 maybe connected with the cylinder 1 in any proper manner, and the valve gear or operating mechanism of my improvement may be indefinitely varied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, which consists in providing a method and means for opening fully the exhaust-valves automatically simultaneously with the admission of initial steam from the inlet-valve, thereby sel curing an economy of steam, a quicker movement of the working piston in starting, and a conservation of power. lateral arm 48, Fig. 7, Whose free ends are Having thus described my improvement and the manner of its operation, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent ,is midway its ends to engage the adjacent bi- 1. The combination with the main cylinder,

piston and piston-rod, and a chambered valvechest, of a double ported oscillating inletvalve mechanically operated by connection :with a moving part of the engine; a pair of steam actuated and operatively connected exhaust-valves pivotally mounted in the oppositely arranged steam chambers of said valve-chest, and adapted to open and close automatically and simultaneously with the inlet-valve, whereby a full exhaust is maintained all the time, all substantially as described. v

2. The combination of a Valve-chest, chambered as shown; a double-ported oscillating inlet or cut-off valve arranged in said valvechest, and mechanically operated as described; a pair of automatic steam-actuated exhaust-valves pivotally mounted in oppositely-arran ged steam-chambers of said valvechest, and adapted to be alternately opened and closed by the admission of initial steam from said inlet -va1ve, substantially as described.

3. In combination with an inlet-valve adapted to admit steam into the main cylinder for the initiatory movement of the piston, and rotatively mounted in a steam-chambered valve-chest; of a pair of exhaust-valves pivotally mounted in said valve-chest and adapted to be automatically actuated by the admission of steam by said inlet-valve in the man-- IIO ner described,whereby one or the other of said valves will be fully open at all times; and means for operatively connecting said valves, all substantially as described.

4. A two-part exhaust-valve consisting of two pivoted cylindrical valves or sections adapted to alternately exhaust from the main cylinder automatically under the pressure of the infiowing initial steam, whereby said valves are fully opened at once and a free exhaust is provided through one or the other of said valves all the time; and means for operatively connecting said valves or sections, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a proper inletvalve for admitting initial steam to the main CYRUS R. HAMMELL'.

Witnesses:

DORE B. ERWIN, JAMES T. MERRYMAN. 

